I’ve written here a number of times (as early as 2010 and as late as earlier this year) about the progress with the pursuit of “pink Viagra” and its frustrating setbacks. My message has consistently been that women’s sexuality is complicated, and no pill is going to fix everything for everyone.

But because of that very complication, as a physician, I value having options available. For one woman, simply thinking about intention and follow-through is enough to change the equation. For another, a combination of moisturizer, lubricant, and a powerful-enough vibrator is restorative. A third may require localized estrogen to rejuvenate tissues and restore comfort. You get the idea.

What that means is that the more options I have, the more likely I am to be able to work with a woman to maintain or restore the level of physical intimacy and sexual activity she wants. And I’m increasingly aware that while there are 26 drugs approved by the FDA for men’s erectile dysfunction, there is nothing that’s been approved for women facing comparable issues.

It’s not for want of trying. From the outside, it looks as though the bar is set higher for drugs for women than drugs for men. The side effects noted for drugs recently considered seemed more mild than that list we can all recite from hearing Viagra commercials since 1998. It doesn’t matter whether this is an intentional bias; what matters is that the FDA assure that it’s even-handed and supportive of women and their sexual health moving forward.

And that’s where the change comes in. Later this month, I’ll be traveling to Washington, DC, to attend a public hearing and then a workshop of women’s health experts, both intended to establish the reality of women’s experience (43 percent of us suffer from some sexual dysfunction!) and how the FDA can productively respond.

You can lend your voice to the proceedings. There’s a consortium of us who are concerned with women’s sexual health. We’re gathering signatures to a petition so that it’s clear to the FDA when we meet that this is a real problem, suffered by real women who seek a range of solutions. Add your voice at EvenTheScore.org or sign the #WomenDeserve petition at Change.org. Follow the discussion at the WomenDeserve Facebook community.

And I’ll keep you posted on the progress your voice has supported!

3 Responses

spunkymama96

July 06, 2015

I feel the same way! I have been married for 20 years to the most wonderful man. He is sexy, funny, smart, and a great father and husband. For the past few months, I have had no desire to have sex. I do it out of obligation. I see advertisements all the time for men, but none for women. We deserve options! I have signed the #WomenDeserve petition and I encourage all of you to do the same. Thanks for sharing!

spunkymama96

July 06, 2015

I feel the same way! I have been married for 20 years to the most wonderful man. He is sexy, funny, smart, and a great father and husband. For the past few months, I have had no desire to have sex. I do it out of obligation. I see advertisements all the time for men, but none for women. We deserve to have options!

Is anyone else experiencing a low sex drive?

July 06, 2015

I know there are several women who suffer from low to absolutely NO sex drive, such as myself. For me, it is more than just being tired, distracted, kids, not attracted to my husband, etc.. I want to "want" to have sex. I have talked with my doctor about it, and to her distress as well as mine, there seems to be no options for someone like me. Sure there are hormones to take, or lotions to rub on, but none of those seem to be for me. I did come across this awesome blog post! I wanted to share it with all of you who might be at a dead end like me!!! There may some hope on the horizon! Think about What #WomenDeserve